Südbrücke

A listed railway bridge from 1910 with neo-Romanesque stair towers – today mainly for freight, pedestrians and cyclists.

Rhine bridge Listed monument Walking Cycling

The South Bridge is a railway bridge over the Rhine in southern Cologne. It carries two tracks plus footpaths on both sides and is used mostly for freight, as part of the Cologne freight bypass line.

Possible activities

Cycling ↗

Source: Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-06-23

At a glance

Built: 1906–1910
Length: 368 m, three-arch steel structure
Architecture: neo-Romanesque stair towers by Franz Schwechten
Today: freight traffic, foot and cycle path; a listed monument

History

The bridge was designed by the same team as the Hohenzollern Bridge, with stonework by Berlin architect Franz Schwechten. Badly destroyed in 1945, it was rebuilt by 1950 – and unlike the Hohenzollern Bridge, parts of its tower architecture survive. On the left bank the Friedenspark adjoins the bridge approach, making the South Bridge a quiet spot for a walk.